Nuts have been used as a food source for thousands of years. During this time, the popularity of nuts as a food source can be attributed, at least in part, to their pleasing taste and nutritional value. Nuts are also recognized as being a good source of protein.
Nuts are currently used in many different food products to add flavor and variety. Products such as ice cream, chocolates, cookies, etc., are more appealing when eaten in combination with nuts such as peanuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts and the like. Accordingly, there is strong demand for these types of nuts.
Unfortunately, nuts have many disadvantages. Nuts are expensive, and the cost of a food product incorporating nuts increases accordingly. Nuts may contain aflatoxins, a toxic, naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by mold that may grow on the nuts. Many of the aflatoxins are thought to be carcinogenic to humans. In addition, some nuts contain potential allergens that when ingested can cause a severe reaction and possibly death. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to develop a simulated nut-like product that minimizes or eliminates many of these disadvantages while preserving the advantages of nuts.
Over the years, attempts have been made to produce a nut-like substitute for use in food products. However, many of these attempts were unsatisfactory because the nut-like substitute did not possess the necessary texture, bite, taste, or look of natural nuts. Nuts are often incorporated into products that must be cooked or baked such as cookies, brownies, muffins, pies, butterscotch, breads, cakes, etc. Many of the nut-like substitutes, however, cannot withstand the high temperatures involved in cooking or baking without losing some of their nut-like characteristics.
The present invention relates generally to food compositions and methods for making food compositions, and more particularly to nut-like food compositions and methods for making nut-like food compositions. The present nut-like food compositions include a triacylglycerol component and a bulking agent. The triacylglycerol component normally forms about 20 to 35 wt. % (all percents are in weight unless specified otherwise) of the resulting food composition. The triacylglycerol component can be formed by combining a lauric triacylglycerol with a saturated 16/18 triacylglycerol. Alternatively, any suitable method can be used to provide a triacylglycerol component having a fatty acid composition including at least about 30 wt. % of lauric acid and at least about 10 wt. % total of palmitic acid and stearic acid. The bulking agent used in the food composition can include any nutritive or non-nutritive agent added to increase the volume and bulk of the composition.
As referred to herein, a xe2x80x9clauric triacylglycerolxe2x80x9d is a triacylglycerol having a fatty acid composition which includes at least about 35 wt. % lauric acid. A xe2x80x9csaturated 16/18 triacylglycerol,xe2x80x9d as used herein, is a triacylglycerol having a fatty acid composition including at least about 95 wt. % total of palmitic acid and stearic acid. Saturated 16/18 triacylglycerols typically have an Iodine Value of no more than about 5. Iodine Value is one measure for characterizing the average number of double bonds present in a triacylglycerol stock which includes triacylglycerol molecules with unsaturated fatty acid residues. The Iodine Value of a triacylglycerol or mixture of triacylglycerols is determined by the Wijs method (A.O.C.S. Cd 1-25).
One embodiment of the present nut-like food composition includes a bulking agent combined with a triacylglycerol component which includes at least about 75 wt. % of a lauric triacylglycerol and about 1 to 10 wt. % of a saturated 16/18 triacylglycerol. The nut-like food composition may also include other ingredients such as flavoring(s), emulsifier, and/or colorant(s).
Another embodiment of the present nut-like food composition includes a bulking agent combined with a triacylglycerol component which has a fatty acid composition including at least about 30 wt. % lauric acid and at least about 10 wt. % total of palmitic and stearic acid. This embodiment of the nut-like food composition may also include other ingredients such as flavoring(s), salt, emulsifier and/or colorant(s). The bulking agent typically includes a saccharide component and may also include nonfat milk solids.
Food products which include the nut-like food composition are also provided herein. Muffins, cakes, cookie, brownie, fudge, pies, bar desserts, soft pretzels and ice cream are examples of food products which can include the present nut-like food composition. Typically, the food products include a form of the nut-like food composition which has been processed to a hardness characterized by a maximum penetration force of at least about 2,000 g and, more desirably, about 2,500 g to 6,000 g. This may be achieved by heating an unbaked form of the food product which includes the nut-like food composition for a sufficient time and temperature to harden the nut-like food composition to the desired degree. A paste form of the nut-like food composition may also be formed into bars or pieces (e.g., chips or drops) and heated to harden the nut-like food composition. The hardened bars or pieces can then be comminuted, such as by grinding, chopping and/or crushing, into smaller particles (e.g., circa 5,000 to 10,000 count/lb). The resulting particles of the hardened nut-like food composition can be incorporated into and/or distributed on food products.
A method for making a nut-like food composition is also provided herein. The method for making the triacylglycerol typically includes combining a first triacylglycerol component with the bulking agent to form a first paste. The first paste is then comminuted (e.g., via grinding, chopping and/or crushing) to form a material having particles about 100 microns in size or less (more desirably having particles no more than about 50 microns in size). In a particularly suitable embodiment, the nut-like food composition is processed to produce a material composed of particles about 15 to 50 microns in size. The comminuted material is then combined with a second triacylglycerol to form a second paste. The second paste desirably has a Macmichael viscosity at 120xc2x0 F. of about 30 to 60 cP. Typically, the second paste is formed into drops or chips (e.g., about 500 to 10,000 count/lb in size) and cooled to ambient temperature. The drops or chips may be blended into a food composition (e.g., a cookie dough or a cake batter) which is then baked. The baking step can increase the hardness of the nut-like food composition, e.g., can convert the nut-like food composition to a form which has a maximum penetration force of at least about 2,500 g and, preferably, no more than about 10,000 g.
The nut-like food composition can also be produced using a method which includes at least the following steps. A first triacylglycerol component, typically including at least about 60 wt. % of a lauric oil, is mixed with a bulking agent to form a first paste. The first paste is then compressed to form a flake material, generally composed of particles of no more than about 50 microns in size. The flake material is then combined with additional lauric triacylglycerol to form a second paste, desirably having a Macmichael viscosity at 120xc2x0 F. of about 30 to 60 cP.